West Point cadets Victoria Wallling and Jason Sommerfeld spent four weeks this summer working with test pilots and others at Redstone Test Centerâs Aviation Flight Test Directorate. (Leada Gore/lgore@al.com)

It took West Point cadet Jason Sommerfield just a single
flight in a helicopter in the sky over Redstone Arsenal to realize not all
learning takes place in a classroom.

"I learned as much in that one flight as I did in a whole
semester of aeronautics," said Sommerfield, a native of Wheaton, Ill. "It was
great."

Sommerfield and Cadet Victoria Walling, both Firsties - the
U.S. Military Academy equivalent of seniors - are spending four weeks at
Redstone Test Center's Aviation Flight Test Directorate this summer. Both are
mechanical engineering students who are considering aviation as their military
careers. Their time at RTC is part of an academic development program that teams
cadets with military research centers to allow for real-world experience.

During their stint at Redstone, Sommerfield and Walling have
had the opportunity to work with RTC test pilots and go up in four different
aircraft. They are not allowed to participate in actual testing but do get to
take part in observation and orientation flights. Their time in the sky is focused
on the engineering and operation of both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft.

For Walling, a native of Martel, Iowa, the summer is a chance
to learn more about the career field she sees as exciting and challenging.

"I went to West Point looking for a challenge," she said.
"At first, I wanted to be an Arabic translator but it didn't take me long to
realize I wasn't very good at Arabic. Then I went on my first helicopter flight
and really liked it."

Sommerfield said he always knew he wanted to fly and his
time at RTC has bridged what he's learned in the classroom to what's it's like
to be in the field.

"I'm glad we came in as Firsties and not earlier or a lot of
what we're learning wouldn't have made sense," he said. "Now, I'm getting the
chance to see the things I've just heard about before. I love flying and seeing
the world from a different perspective."

The cadets go back to West Point Aug. 11 with classes
starting Aug. 19. They hope one day to return to Alabama to receive aeronautics
training at Fort Rucker near Dothan.

"That would be great," Sommerfield said. "I'd get the chance
to see God's creation while doing something I love."